1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a timepiece which permits freely adjusting the level of sounds produced by a mechanical unit therein and, more particularly, to a timepiece which permits freely enlarging or reducing the sounds produced thereby to a desired level.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
A sundial utilizing the movements of the sun and moon started the history of the relation between mankind and timepieces and, since then, various kinds of timepieces have been invented, such as a sandglass, spring type timepiece utilizing the oscillations of pendulum or balance-wheel, and electric timepiece operated by an electric current which are currently used. Timepieces utilizing a pendulum or balance-wheel, or timepieces utilizing a tuning fork or quartz oscillator which are currently available produce without exceptions a certain kind of sounds, and there are no timepieces that do not product any sound at all.
Mankind has long communed in its everyday life with the sounds produced by timepieces and the latter cannot be separated from the life of the former. The sounds produced by timepieces include ones occurring in a balance-wheel type timepiece when toothed wheels are driven as an escape wheel of the escapement is engaged with an anchor, and ones produced by a ticking mechanism and alarm mechanism of various types of timepieces. There are some timepieces having a mechanical unit provided with various kinds of elastic packings therein to reduce the propagation of sounds produced thereby or prevent sounds from occurring. Such timepieces, however, may break the rhythm of life of the user or give the user dissatisfaction, though this may depend upon the personality of the user and the place in which such timepieces are installed. The sounds from an alarm clock, for example, are preferably low in most cases during sleeping hours. However, there are some in fact who do not fall asleep unless they hear a moderate level of ticking sounds from a timepiece.